The Journal provides minute-by-minute analysis of the BCS National Championship game between No. 1 Florida State and No. 2 Auburn. Ben Cohen (@bzcohen) and Rachel Bachman (@Bachscore) provide commentary from the Rose Bowl, while Kevin Clark (@KevinClarkWSJ) and Jeremy Gordon (@jeremypgordon) offers analysis of the television broadcast.

Greetings from the Rose Bowl, where it’s -45 degrees with wind chill, inches of snow have blanketed the stadium seats, and the Auburn and Florida State fans who dared to brave the elements for the Bowl Championship Series title game are currently eating each other for sustenance. Kidding! They’re eating each other as a snack.

OK, so the conditions here in Pasadena, Calif., are perfect, not just like 75 degrees and sunny, but actually 75 degrees and sunny, unlike the deep freeze across much of the country today. What we’re about to find out now is whether the last game of this college-football season matches up to the weather. Florida State opened as an 8 1/2 point favorite, and the spread has inched into double digits in favor of the Seminoles, the undefeated and untested team that comes into Monday’s game mashing its opponents by an average of 42 points. On the other sideline is a team in Auburn that is redefining what miraculous means in college football. Under first-year coach Gus Malzahn, the Tigers are shooting for the biggest turnaround in the sport’s modern history, and a win tonight would reverse last season’s 3-9 record into a 13-1 season with a national title and two of the most remarkable plays that anyone has ever seen, even more amazing than space kale.

As national championships are, this is a matchup of bests. Florida State has the country’s best player, the Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston at quarterback, and the top-ranked scoring defense. Auburn has the nation’s best running offense, starring the converted quarterback Nick Marshall and Heisman finalist Tre Mason at running back, and enough karma to fill the Rose Bowl.

The contrast in how these teams got here is delicious in itself and even more so because nobody really knows which approach will win—not even the people in this press box who pretend like they do. As the Auburn defensive end Craig Sanders said this weekend: “I guess we’ll have to wait and see Monday night.”

On the Rose Bowl field before the game, an autograph seeker was beckoning Johnny Manziel for an autograph. “Johnny! Johnny! Johnny!” he yelled. Manziel, wearing pink socks, didn’t turn around. “Mr. Manziel!” Now that got Johnny Football’s attention.

Also on the Rose Bowl field: new ESPN analyst Tim Tebow shaking hands with ESPN president John Skipper, Skipper congratulating Ari Emanuel on his winning bid for IMG last month, Emanuel hugging it out with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Maybe Saban should think about retiring and taking a sinecure at any number of pregame shows. What’s locking yourself in a room to watch hours of tape compared with watching a bemused personal assistant help Lee Corso into jersey?

In a related story, A-Rod has posted a picture of himself at a Florida State tailgate with a burgundy shirt. The same A-Rod who has decided to become Mr. Miami Hurricane and even shows at the Miami alumni bar to watch games. Now he’s a Seminole fan. Never forget that A-Rod is the worst.

Auburn’s first offensive possession is a Tre Mason carry for first down, though he’s stuffed on the next two tries. Nick Marshall looks for a wiiiiiiide open Ricardo Louis on third down, who drops the pass.

Jimbo Fisher bragged yesterday about how he had a book on every coach he faces, and when a reporter asked him if his staff looked at Gus Malzahn’s old high-school tapes in scouting, Fisher implied that they had looked at everything. Except maybe they didn’t look far enough into Gus’s bag of tricks: That was a perfectly designed play that had touchdown written all over it if Marshall had thrown the pass five yards farther or if Louis hadn’t loaded up on Butterfingers before the game. In which case, he has bigger problems, because pregame Butterfingers is not exactly the meal of champions.

The Seminoles quickly begin with a pair of big gains, and then Jameis Winston is nearly picked off by another soggy-handed Tiger. That seems to disrupt their rhythm, with a false start pushing them further back on third down.

Aguayo drills a 35-yarder to get the Seminoles on the board. Aguayo told reporters Saturday that his range was somewhere between 55 and 60 yards, depending on the winds inside the Rose Bowl. Keep that in mind for later this game if you’re interested in seeing another 109-yard field-goal return.

Winston can’t get anywhere looking for the red zone, and he’s sacked on third down. A repeated tenet of Auburn’s not-super-impressive defense has been “hope someone does something”; maybe it’s as simple as that? The Seminoles settle for a field goal to get on the scoreboard.

The Tigers are out here scrimping for first downs, and Marshall gets tagged with intentional grounding as he weaves in and out of defenders only to get pulled down right as he tries to whip the ball to someone… or no one, really.

That’s a quick third-and-out for the Florida State offense as Auburn bats down what would’ve been a third down conversion. Chris Davis starts to build up steam before he’s stopped; as a result, the Tigers will take over somewhere near the Seminole 25.

Dee Ford sacks Winston on third down but the ensuing punt is called back when Auburn roughs the kicker, giving the Seminoles a do-over on the drive. (This is what’s known as a “potential turning point.”)

Tre Mason breaks free for a 23-yard rush but the ball squirts out when he falls to the ground. Auburn tries its very special no-huddle, hurryhurryhurryhurrywhatareyouwaitingfor-up offense to avoid a review, but Marshall isn’t quick enough with the snap, and this one’s going to the replay booth. Looks like Auburn will keep the ball at its 38, though.

Maybe Florida State was mostly playing bad teams all year, or something? There’s no one in sight as Melvin Ray takes a deep strike from Marshall all the way for a 50 yard touchdown, and suddenly Auburn is up by two scores. That’s the benefit of Malzahn’s sweater vest: impossible to stretch the sleeves from over-pumping your arms.

Auburn goes into the half thrilled to be up 21-10. Florida State goes into the half showing signs of life and getting the ball to start the second. Basically the opposite of what we expected — and somehow both teams have the other right where they want them.

Bad breaks for Auburn: the referees miss pass interference, followed by an offensive holding call negating what would’ve been a third down conversion. They can’t convert on 3rd and 18, and punt instead.

Auburn doesn’t add to the lead but does flip the field on another great punt that backs Florida State inside its 10-yard line. The crazy thing about tonight’s game is that while Auburn’s vaunted offense has been fine, the defense and the special teams have provided the field position to make things as easy as Florida State fans thought they would have it.

I cannot over-emphasize what a large man Kelvin Benjamin is. Grizzled sportswriters (and not only me) stood next to him on media day. Listed at 6-5, 234, but looks like 6-7, 260. He’s sort of the wind chill of receivers.

Let’s remember the good times of the BCS. All those times FSU backed into the title game. All those times Florida backed into the title game. All those times Oklahoma backed into the title game. Also, when Vince Young did that thing.

Oh, boy: Marshall throws it into coverage on third down and is intercepted by P.J. Williams, who then fumbles only to get bailed out by a teammate. Seminole ball, and an Auburn man is down on the sideline.

Jameis Winston pass complete to Chad Abram for 11 yards for a TOUCHDOWN.

But a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct puts them too far back to go for two, so they kick the extra point instead to get to 21-20. Think pieces about Jameis Winston’s ability to overcome adversity… bubbling.

Auburn having success giving the ball to either Marshall or Mason, and getting closer into scoring position. (Though remember that Cody Parkey missed from 33 yards earlier today, so maybe nothing is safe.)

I know this is going to make me sound silly when there are eight more scores tonight and Florida State wins in quadruple overtime but this is pretty much the game here. If the Tigers score, they’re one defensive stop from winning the national title. If the Seminoles hold them, they give the ball back to their Heisman winner with a title drive on the line.

Wow, Levonte Whitfield takes it 100 yards on the kickoff return for a touchdown, giving Florida State a (presumable) 27-24 lead after they kick the extra point. That’s one way to put it in your Heisman winner’s hands. TOUCHDOWN! 27-24 FSU.

Jolicouer on Florida State stood on his team’s metal bleachers, facing the fans in garnet and hold behind the sideline, and screamed his words of warning for the college football world: “Take that, SEC!”

Marshall on the move gets it to Sammy Coates for a first down on 3rd and 11, prolonging their drive. A play later, Mason breaks free on the left and smacks into a handful of defenders before getting pushed out close to the first down.

Marshall to Coates again, and Auburn is at Florida State’s 33 yard line. But Lamarcus Joyner finds and wraps Marshall up, pulling them back a bit… before Tre Mason finds a hole on the right and zips 38 yards for a touchdown. The Tigers lead, 31-27, and Florida State will get the ball back with barely over a minute left.

Iron Bowl hero Chris Davis is called for pass interference, which means Florida State gets a first down… allowing MonStar to go for a jump ball in the end zone and come down for the go-ahead touchdown.

A tricky set of laterals doesn’t do much, and that’s the game. Florida State wins 34-31 and breaks the SEC’s streak of national championships as the BCS era comes to an end. We’ll remember the game for Gus Malzahn’s seemingly sterling future as a sweater model as Auburn bottled up Famous Jameis Winston in the first half, only to watch with surprise as the Seminoles made a go for it, trading leads with the Tigers in the fourth quarter until decisively pulling ahead. Count it: We had lead changes on a kickoff return, a big run by De La Soul’s offspring, and a jump ball to a 6’7-ish wide receiver with half a minute left in the game. Who could honestly say they ever watched a better conclusion to an era everyone hated? Go forth, Seminoles fans, and tomahawk chop into the night.

Comments (5 of 12)

The most exciting football game I have ever witnessed. I tuned in a little late, with Auburn leading 21 to 3 and Florida State driving for their next score. Even then you could feel excitement in the air and a see - saw battle in the making. It was a beautiful performance by our Heistman Trophy Winner.

Absolutely the most exciting game ever.

10:07 am January 7, 2014

jamara wrote:

you gys did good auburn because first the florida state had 3 and we had 0 the first time and then we ha 21 then the florida state won and we lost

8:41 am January 7, 2014

amused wrote:

Jeremy get over yourself.

1:17 am January 7, 2014

momo wrote:

LMAO...Rachel... "sort of the wind chill of wide recievers". Brilliant!

12:36 am January 7, 2014

Minnehaha wrote:

WOW, what a game! One hero, Tall Fellow, Benjamin's catch, so eloquently laid out the forward momentum, needed for the final kill.

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